Page 153 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
士紳藏品
131 *

A VERY FINE AND RARE GILT-BRONZE
FIGURE OF GUANDI
17th century
The God of War vividly portrayed with a fierce
expression, standing on crashing waves with his left
hand raised, wearing a billowing scarf over a highly
detailed chain mail armour bound with straps issuing
from the mouths of monster masks and a cloth cap
set behind an elaborate headdress inset with hard
stones and cast with a pair of dragons confronting a
flaming pearl.
30cm (11 7/8in) high.

£30,000 - 50,000
CNY270,000 - 450,000

十七世紀 銅鎏金關帝立像

Provenance: acquired from Andrew Stuart-
Robertson Oriental and Fine Arts, Paddington,
New South Wales, on 14 November 1998
The Reid Collection

來源：
於1998年11月14日購自新南威爾斯帕丁頓古董商
Andrew Stuart-Robertson Oriental and Fine Arts
Reid 收藏

Guandi is the deified form of Guan Yu (died 220
AD). He acquired great popularity in later times, as
one of the heroes in the vernacular novel Romance
of the Three Kingdoms, written during the Ming
dynasty. Guan Yu’s support of the Han warlord
Liu Bei’s quest of continuing the Han state in Shu
(present-day Sichuan Province) earned him the
reputation of an exemplary model of faithfulness and
reliance. The God was also worshipped as protector
of merchants, and shrines dedicated to him were
known as Temples of Literature and Martial Arts.

Gilt-bronze standing figures of Guandi, denoting
such exquisitely refined details are rare. A stylistically
related, but seated, gilt-bronze figure of Guandi,
17th/18th century, exhibiting comparable facial
features, detailed armour and elaborate headdress,
as the present lot, was sold at Christie’s New York,
24 March 2004, lot 84.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue. FINE CHINESE ART | 145